1. Background of the Invention
The present invention pertains to containers for transporting loaded firearms and in particular, to energy-absorbing containers for the safe containment of shot discharged from the firearm, such as bullets or shotgun pellets, as well as the gas blast associated with their firing from a loaded cartridge.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
There has been a long-felt need among many law enforcement agencies to develop procedures for the safe recovery of a firearm that may be seized by a law enforcement officer in the course of his official duties. There is a great variety of firearms in use today, and increasing attention has been paid to the fact that a law enforcement officer may encounter any one of these weapons on a given day. The number and variety of firearms is so great that even with the usual training, a law enforcement officer may not be familiar with a particular firearm he is called upon to recover from a suspect.
In an emergency situation, the primary objective of the law enforcement officer is to gain control of the firearm weapon to prevent its discharge while in the possession of a suspect. After the emergency situation is under control, the law enforcement officer frequently conducts a preliminary investigation with bystanders and other potential witnesses. It is of utmost importance in such situations, for example, that accidental discharge of the firearm be prevented. In addition to the lack of familiarity with an uncommon firearm weapon, there is always the possibility that even a common weapon has been modified in a nonobvious way which tends to increase the likelihood of its accidental discharge. For example, a firearm may be modified to have a "hair trigger", requiring only a very light pressure on the trigger to initiate discharge of the firearm weapon. It has been observed that such modifications may cause the weapon to become discharged when it is bumped or dropped.